NIALL QUINN has warned stayaway fans that they risk turning Sunderland back into a ‘yo-yo’ club.

The Black Cats chairman has criticised the growing minority of fans who are choosing to watch Sunderland’s 3pm Saturday kick-offs on foreign satellite TV in pubs rather than come through the turnstiles at the Stadium of Light.

Quinn is concerned that attendances are falling and is willing to consider all options to attract fans back to the Stadium of Light – including dropping ticket prices next season.

He says his concern is not financially motivated, pointing out that ticket revenue is relatively little when compared to the club’s share of the Sky TV cash, and insists his main concern is to keep the stadium full.

“The real issue is not financial,” he said. “If I get an extra 5,000 fans out of the pubs and to games at an average of £20 a ticket – about right considering that some would be season tickets and some matchday tickets – that would mean extra income of £1.9m over 19 Premier League games.

“That will not make or break this football club. But what will is if over the next two or three years we lose another 5,000 fans, maybe another 5,000 in the few years after that.

“If that happens, suddenly our attendances will be down to a similar level to those of Blackburn. I can’t allow that to happen.

“As chairman of the club, it is my job to protect the club and ensure it keeps growing.

“I have to be on guard against things that will weaken the club.

“And at this moment in time the biggest weakness I can see is the drain of people away from the stadium who are going to the pub to watch the match, or who are watching at home on the internet.

“The danger is season ticket numbers dwindle, we have to downsize and the club goes back to being a yo-yo club – and no one wants that.”

Last week Quinn went as far saying he ‘despised’ those supporters who prefer the watch home games on TV rather than at the stadium, but has now backtracked and says his use of inflammatory language was merely a tactic to spark debate.

He said: “Of course, I don’t despise anybody, let me make that clear.

“But I tried last year to highlight the problem and was nice about it, but it didn’t get me anywhere.

“I am delighted that the tactic I used this time – using the word ‘despised’ – got everybody jumping.

“Sackloads of letters came to the club and a lot of the response I got was negative, but there was quite a bit that was positive too.

“At the moment, watching the 3pm Saturday games on foreign satellite TV in this country is illegal. The case is going through the European Courts, but whether it is legal or not is really beside the point.

“It’s about filling the stadium and making it an intimidating place.

“And it is a full stadium that will convince players like Sulley Muntari and Stephane Sessegnon to join us.

“This club’s biggest asset, in terms of becoming successful, is a full Stadium of Light.”